Tuesday, 3 July 2007
Very Promising
The first big winner that Richard Dunwoody rode for trainer David Nicholson was Very Promising in the Mackeson Gold Cup. This was in 1986.
Very Promising had been a decent hurdler for Mercy Rimell finishing third in the 1984 Champion Hurdle behind Dawn Run but was sold and went to Nicholson's where he was looked after by stable lad Steve Lovejoy.
For the 1984/85 season Nicholson sent Very Promising chasing and he took to fences well winning novice chases at Newbury and Haydock and was ridden at this time by Peter Scudamore. He also finished third in the 1985 Arkle Chase behind Boreen Prince.
In Very Promising's second season over fences he started with a win at Chepstow in a smallish race ridden by Scudamore. I remember the day quite well as at that time the Nicholson yard was just starting to show a bit better form after a very poor 1984/85 season when he had only trained 17 winners and the horses had gone down to about the 35 mark (from 60). The reason that I remember the day was that we had four runners going at Chepstow and they all won and all four were ridden by Peter Scudamore. They were Tickite Boo, French Union (more commonly known as French Onion and who later won the 1987 Grand Annual Handicap Steeplechase), Cottage Run and Very Promising. A great day capped off with a good night in the Coach & Horses "top pub" at Longborough!
In his following two races Very Promising won the H&T Walker Goddess Chase and the Lambert and Butler Premier Chase Final both were for second season steeplechasers ie the year after being a novice and both at Ascot, these races were quite valuable at the time.
He was ridden by Peter Scudamore.
Very Promising didn't win agian in the 1985/86 season and Nicholson had a new jockey for the start of the 1986/87 season as Peter Scudamore had gone as first Jockey to Fred Winter and Richard Dunwoody who had been riding as second jockey to the yard in 1985/86 now came in for the job as stable jockey.
Very Promising's lad Steve Lovejoy left the yard too at this time and VP was now looked after by David "Scouse" Barker.
The win that put the Dunwoody and Nicholson partnership on the map was Very Promising in the 1986 Mackeson Gold Cup.
VP carrying 11-13 and ridden by Richard Dunwoody won in good style.
As it was my weekend off I had driven flat out up the M5 to get home and see the race on TV only just making it in time for the race.
By winning the Mackeson Gold Cup, which is the first big chase in the National Hunt calendar, it felt like the yard was really firing on all cylinders at last. 1984/85 had been very poor and although 1985/86 was better with Very Promising's two big wins at Ascot and wins by Solar Cloud in the Triumph Hurdle and Charter Party in the Ritz Club Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival we had only ended up with 21 winners.
Very Promising winning the Mackeson Gold Cup meant that the Nicholson yard had stepped up another level on it's recovery from the doldrums and I believe that it was wins such as this that set the foundations for David Nicholson becoming Champion National Hunt Trainer in both 1993/94 and 1994/95 when at the Jackdaws Castle Stables.
After winning the Mackeson Gold Cup Very Promising embarked upon an ambitious mission to Ireland for the Black and White Whiskey Champion Chase at Leopardstown just after Christmas 1986 and won the valuable race in good style partnered by Richard Dunwoody.
I remember riding Very Promising twice at exercise and the first of these occasions was just before the Black and White Whiskey Champion Chase. The race itself was in mid-week and on the prior Sunday morning the "Duke" wanted the horse to have a pipe opener up the grass gallop at his old yard at Condicote near Stow-on-the-Wold.
Very Promising's usual rider Paul Carvill was off for the weekend so I was told to put my tack on Very Promising as I was going to give him his work that morning. Being only 18 years of age this was quite a big feather in my cap at the time as I was getting to ride out the best horse in the yard. I was used to riding Charter Party as he was one of the horses that I "did" but Very Promising was a "different kettle of fish."
I remember Lynn Burrows the Head Lad saying to me in his stern Welsh accent "Don't let the f***ker fall over with you boyo!"
As I lead VP down the yard to the gate to be legged up the "Duke" was there waiting for us, his big hand was raised with his finger pointing at me. Now what was he going to say, I thought.
"Richard, look after the f***ker, he's my best horse" said the "Duke".
I'd had my orders.
Very Promising was quite an experience to ride. We were told to canter for about four furlongs and I remember how he carried his head so low with his mouth open slightly and his teeth bared. His front legs looked to be going either side of his head as he carried it that low and the power that you could feel running through that very fit horse was awesome.
Next we came a good pace on the grass for about six furlongs. He was strong when you were going steady but when you went quicker his head came up from between his knees and that was when you truly became the passenger. For me at the time he was breathtaking to ride, not only did he treat me as a passenger in his fast work but to show his genuineness and professionalism he also knew where to pull up for the end of his work.
Fortunately the work went well and three days later Very Promising won the Black and White Whisky Champion Chase.
Very Promising was a top class horse over two and a half miles, was very nearly top class over two miles when third in a Champion Hurdle, third in an Arkle and third in a Champion Chase and in addition seemed very good when he tried three miles when placed in the Vincent O'Brien Gold Cup at Leopardstown in Ireland.
Very Promising had been a decent hurdler for Mercy Rimell finishing third in the 1984 Champion Hurdle behind Dawn Run but was sold and went to Nicholson's where he was looked after by stable lad Steve Lovejoy.
For the 1984/85 season Nicholson sent Very Promising chasing and he took to fences well winning novice chases at Newbury and Haydock and was ridden at this time by Peter Scudamore. He also finished third in the 1985 Arkle Chase behind Boreen Prince.
In Very Promising's second season over fences he started with a win at Chepstow in a smallish race ridden by Scudamore. I remember the day quite well as at that time the Nicholson yard was just starting to show a bit better form after a very poor 1984/85 season when he had only trained 17 winners and the horses had gone down to about the 35 mark (from 60). The reason that I remember the day was that we had four runners going at Chepstow and they all won and all four were ridden by Peter Scudamore. They were Tickite Boo, French Union (more commonly known as French Onion and who later won the 1987 Grand Annual Handicap Steeplechase), Cottage Run and Very Promising. A great day capped off with a good night in the Coach & Horses "top pub" at Longborough!
In his following two races Very Promising won the H&T Walker Goddess Chase and the Lambert and Butler Premier Chase Final both were for second season steeplechasers ie the year after being a novice and both at Ascot, these races were quite valuable at the time.
He was ridden by Peter Scudamore.
Very Promising didn't win agian in the 1985/86 season and Nicholson had a new jockey for the start of the 1986/87 season as Peter Scudamore had gone as first Jockey to Fred Winter and Richard Dunwoody who had been riding as second jockey to the yard in 1985/86 now came in for the job as stable jockey.
Very Promising's lad Steve Lovejoy left the yard too at this time and VP was now looked after by David "Scouse" Barker.
The win that put the Dunwoody and Nicholson partnership on the map was Very Promising in the 1986 Mackeson Gold Cup.
VP carrying 11-13 and ridden by Richard Dunwoody won in good style.
As it was my weekend off I had driven flat out up the M5 to get home and see the race on TV only just making it in time for the race.
By winning the Mackeson Gold Cup, which is the first big chase in the National Hunt calendar, it felt like the yard was really firing on all cylinders at last. 1984/85 had been very poor and although 1985/86 was better with Very Promising's two big wins at Ascot and wins by Solar Cloud in the Triumph Hurdle and Charter Party in the Ritz Club Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival we had only ended up with 21 winners.
Very Promising winning the Mackeson Gold Cup meant that the Nicholson yard had stepped up another level on it's recovery from the doldrums and I believe that it was wins such as this that set the foundations for David Nicholson becoming Champion National Hunt Trainer in both 1993/94 and 1994/95 when at the Jackdaws Castle Stables.
After winning the Mackeson Gold Cup Very Promising embarked upon an ambitious mission to Ireland for the Black and White Whiskey Champion Chase at Leopardstown just after Christmas 1986 and won the valuable race in good style partnered by Richard Dunwoody.
I remember riding Very Promising twice at exercise and the first of these occasions was just before the Black and White Whiskey Champion Chase. The race itself was in mid-week and on the prior Sunday morning the "Duke" wanted the horse to have a pipe opener up the grass gallop at his old yard at Condicote near Stow-on-the-Wold.
Very Promising's usual rider Paul Carvill was off for the weekend so I was told to put my tack on Very Promising as I was going to give him his work that morning. Being only 18 years of age this was quite a big feather in my cap at the time as I was getting to ride out the best horse in the yard. I was used to riding Charter Party as he was one of the horses that I "did" but Very Promising was a "different kettle of fish."
I remember Lynn Burrows the Head Lad saying to me in his stern Welsh accent "Don't let the f***ker fall over with you boyo!"
As I lead VP down the yard to the gate to be legged up the "Duke" was there waiting for us, his big hand was raised with his finger pointing at me. Now what was he going to say, I thought.
"Richard, look after the f***ker, he's my best horse" said the "Duke".
I'd had my orders.
Very Promising was quite an experience to ride. We were told to canter for about four furlongs and I remember how he carried his head so low with his mouth open slightly and his teeth bared. His front legs looked to be going either side of his head as he carried it that low and the power that you could feel running through that very fit horse was awesome.
Next we came a good pace on the grass for about six furlongs. He was strong when you were going steady but when you went quicker his head came up from between his knees and that was when you truly became the passenger. For me at the time he was breathtaking to ride, not only did he treat me as a passenger in his fast work but to show his genuineness and professionalism he also knew where to pull up for the end of his work.
Fortunately the work went well and three days later Very Promising won the Black and White Whisky Champion Chase.
Very Promising was a top class horse over two and a half miles, was very nearly top class over two miles when third in a Champion Hurdle, third in an Arkle and third in a Champion Chase and in addition seemed very good when he tried three miles when placed in the Vincent O'Brien Gold Cup at Leopardstown in Ireland.
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
